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Three narratives combine to create a shocking trilogy of modern American life, a portrait drawn with brushstrokes of hidden violence and disturbing cruelty. Directed by Douglas Buck, this unflinching film reveals what lies behind the drawn curtains of so-called "ordinary" households.

A desperate housewife, a troubled father and a crippled disfigured teenage girl journey into self-mutilation, murder, and the pits of despair in three chapters. In "Cutting Moments" (1997), a troubled family descends into incest and murder. "Home" (1998) acts as a follow-up to the previous film, and "Prologue" (2003) tells the tale of a young teenage girl, brutally attacked just one year before, returning to her hometown where she will confront her attacker.

Douglas Buck has an uncanny way of getting under the skin of the the viewer with his sordid tales of both small town and suburban life, he does so with a sparse style that peels away the shiny veneer to expose the rotten underside.

Director: Douglas Buck
Cast: Jared Barsky, Gary Betsworth, Ray Bland, Sally Conway
Country: USA
Genre: Drama, Horror

Family Portraits: A Trilogy of America (2003) DVD9 Wild Side
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DVD9 | PAL 4:3 | 01:43:23 | 7.03 Gb + 3% rec
Language: English
Subtitles: Francais

Extras:
• The feature version of the film (103:23)
• Audio commentary by Director Douglas Buck and Author/critic Douglas E. Winter
• "Behind-the-Scenes" featurettes
-- Cutting Moments (06:44)
-- Prologue (16:06)
• Interview with director Douglas Buck (12:22)
• Deleted Scene from "Prologue" (1:25)
• Trailers
• Stills Galleries

Family Portraits: A Trilogy of America (2003) Blu-Ray Severin Films
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BD50 | 1080p AVC | 01:43:48 | 45.8 Gb + 3% rec
Language: English
Subtitles: English (for the feature version)

Extras:

• The feature version of the film (103:48)
• Audio Commentary by director Douglas Buck (2019)
• Audio Commentary by critic and writer Maitland McDonagh (2020)

• The Original Shorts:
-- "Cutting Moments" (1997) (26:22)
-- "Home" (1998) (28:50)
-- "Prologue" (2003) (51:38)
• Audio Commentary on "Cutting Moments" by actors Nicca Ray and Gary Betsworth (2019)
• Audio Commentary on "Home" by actor Gary Betsworth (2019)
• Audio Commentary on "Prologue" by actors Sally Conway, William Stone Mahoney, David Thornton, Larry Fessenden, Beth Glover, and painter Jesse McCloskey (2019)

• "After All" 1994 short film (17:29)
• "Cutting Moments" interviews circa 1998 (47:56)
• "That's Dark" podcast on "Cutting Moments" (2018):
-- Part 1 (70:37)
-- Part 2 (63:35)
-- 2019 interview with director Douglas Buck (123:51)
• "Prologue" Deleted Scene (1:25)
• Behind the Scenes of "Prologue" (16:06)
• Stills Galleries:
-- "Cutting Moments" (3:34)
-- "Home" (3:05)
-- "Prologue" (3:05)
• "Family Portraits" Trailer (1:43)